Congressional hearing on kids dirtbike ban

Federal lawmakers have scheduled a hearing for Thursday, Sept. 10, to receive an update on the status of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) that essentially banned the sale of kids’ dirtbikes and ATVs, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

The AMA is urging all concerned motorcyclists and ATVers to contact their federal lawmakers to exempt motorcycles and ATVs from the law, which took effect in February. The law stopped the sale of dirt bikes and ATVs designed for children age 12 and under, although the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) subsequently issued a stay of enforcement of the measure until May 2011.

Under the law, all youth products containing lead must now have less than 300 parts per million by weight. The CPSC has interpreted the law to apply to various components of youth-model motorcycles and ATVs, including the engine, brakes, suspension, battery and other mechanical parts. Even though the lead levels in these parts are small, they are still above the minimum threshold.

The Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold Thursday’s hearing, titled: "Consumer Product Safety Commission Oversight: Current Issues and a Vision for the Future." CPSC Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum will be the only testifier.

This hearing is the first one sponsored by this subcommittee since the CPSIA passed 13 months ago. It is important that motorcyclists and ATV riders let Congress know that they are concerned about the lead-content requirements of the CPSIA, and that they want youth-model off-highway vehicles excluded from those requirements.

Riders should contact their U.S. representatives and let them know how the CPSIA has created a severe and unwarranted disruption to families who ride together responsibly, and a deleterious effect on youth amateur racing. Because the fastest way to permanently address this issue is through legislation, riders should urge their representatives to support H.R. 1587, introduced by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-At Large-Mont.), to exempt youth-sized motorcycles and ATVs from the CPSIA.

You can find contact information for your elected officials at AmericanMotorcyclist.com. From the homepage, click on "Rights," then "Issues & Legislation," and enter your zip code in the "Find your Officials" box. Additionally, a prewritten e-mail is available for you to send to your representative immediately by following the "Take Action" option and entering your information.

It is particularly important to contact members of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. They are U.S. Reps.: